Although China is unlikely to join President Barack Obama’s anti-ISIS coalition, it is far from uninvolved in the Middle East.

Little noticed amid the tumult in Syria, two Chinese naval ships–a guided missile destroyer, the Changchun, and a frigate, the Changzhou–visited the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas on Monday and began a four-day joint exercise with Iranian naval forces. According to China’s navy, this was the first visit by Chinese warships to Iran. Read More »

One could hardly hope for a better illustration of the differences and, in some aspects, similarities between the economic systems of the U.S. and China than the stories in this morning’s Wall Street Journal about the universally sensitive issue of farm subsidies.

This is a bumper harvest year in both the U.S. and in China. In the U.S., that means falling prices and – despite the huge harvest – falling incomes for farmers. U.S. corn prices, which fell 40% last year, are down another 15% this year, on expectations for a larger than normal harvest. Farmers are yelping.

China is headed for its 11th year of bumper grain crops and, the Journal reports, that its silos and warehouses are overflowing. But prices are not plunging because of mounting state subsidies and purchases. Read More »

Leaders from nearly 50 African nations are convening in Washingtonthrough Wednesday to attend a White House summit for the region. President Barack Obama has invited them here for a reason: Africa is important and increasingly so in ways that are often overlooked. Six of the ten fastest-growing countries are in Africa as is much of the world’s untapped oil and mineral resources. It’s also an untapped resource for U.S. goods.

But, Africa is also drifting away from the U.S. and toward China. WSJ’s Neil King Jr. explains what U.S. leaders hope to accomplish this week at the summit. Read More »

Lost amid the clamor over Hillary Clinton’s book tourare some of her views on China, where–despite challenges from Ukraine to the Middle East–her legacy as secretary of state is arguably the most consequential. Mrs. Clinton was a key part of the “pivot to Asia,” a process that arguably began with visits to Beijing and Hanoi in 2010 during which she pushed back against China’s assertiveness in the South China Sea. She accelerated the effort with a ForeignPolicy.com article in October 2011, and President Barack Obama traveled to Asia the next month. Read More »

A federal appeals court on Tuesday faulted the Obama administration’s treatment of a Chinese-owned company that saw the U.S. government block its deal for Oregon wind farms on national security grounds. Here are five things to know about the ruling:

1) The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuitrejectedthe administration’s argument that courts were prohibited from reviewing the procedures the president uses to evaluate transactions in which foreign owned companies aim to buy U.S. assets. The court said that while the president gets to make the final call on whether to allow a transaction, courts can consider allegations the administration used a constitutionally insufficient process to reach its decision. Read More »

Wind turbines on the Heil Family Farm, a wind farm, in Haverhill, Iowa. Reuters

Scott Mulhauser, chief of staff at the Export-Import Bank, is exporting himself to China.

Mr. Mulhauser will begin work next month as the top aide to Max Baucus, the American ambassador to Beijing. He leaves the embattled bank as House Republicans are fighting over whether to reauthorize the bank, which helps support U.S. exports through a wide range of programs, including guaranteeing loans to foreign buyers and providing credit insurance. Read More »

Vice President told Air Force graduates Wednesday that the nation needs a strong economy, a reputation for defending human rights and a presence in North Africa, Southeast Asia and the Pacific to remain a global power. Mr. Biden also warned of threats from cyberwarfare, extremism, terrorism and corruption, and said America remains the world’s top innovator, outshining China.

Here is the transcript of his remarks, provided by Federal News Service. Read More »

Four days after the U.S. Justice Department charged Chinese military personnel with hacking American corporate secrets, President Barack Obama’s trade czar declared victory over a set of tariffs that China had imposed on American cars. Read More »

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Washington Wire is one of the oldest standing features in American journalism. Since the Wire launched on Sept. 20, 1940, the Journal has offered readers an informal look at the capital. Now online, the Wire provides a succession of glimpses at what’s happening behind hot stories and warnings of what to watch for in the days ahead. The Wire is led by Reid J. Epstein, with contributions from the rest of the bureau. Washington Wire now also includes Think Tank, our home for outside analysis from policy and political thinkers.